The characteristics or urolithiasis in flight personnel and the treatment results using a method of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy on the Russian lithotripter Urat-P2
Garilevich, B.A.; Avdeĭchuk, I.I.
Aviakosmicheskaia i Ekologicheskaia Meditsina 29(2): 46-47
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0233-528X PMID: 7550151 Document Number: 442889
Urolithiasis occurs more frequently in the pilots than in the ground-service personnel. To decrease a damaging effect of the focused shock waves on the renal tissue while using remote lithotripsy technique, a new domestic-certified lithotriptor "URAT-P2" which shows a significantly low energy of shock wave with sufficient effectiveness of crushing the renal stones, is devised. Urolithiasis in the pilots is apparent at the early stages of its development and its complicated forms are less common than in the subjects of other professions. The stones are predominantly located in the renal calyces (73,3% of cases), in the left kidney and urethra in 63,3% of cases and there were urate stones in 40% of cases. The clinical use of the URAT-P2 complex in 30 pilots indicated that it holds advantages over the production domestic-certified lithotriptor. The stones are crushed in all the patients but the complications associated with a negative effect of the focused shock waves on the renal tissue are absent. The use of the new lithotriptor for treating urolithiasis in the pilots will allow one to improve the treatment response and to maintain professional worthiness of the pilots for a long time.